1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and methods for determining a distance of an object using emitted light pulses.
2. Background of the Invention
A known laser range finding apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,174. The apparatus utilizes an infrared laser to emit pulses of infrared light along a narrow beam path toward an object. The infrared pulses are reflected from the object and are received by a photoelectric diode which generates electrical pulses responsive thereto. The electrical pulses are used to determine a distance of the object.
The known system, however, has a substantial drawback. In particular, because the infrared laser emits a beam of light along a narrow beam path, automatically detecting objects over a relatively wide area is not possible. For example, if the known system were mounted in an automotive vehicle, objects in front of an automotive vehicle on a roadway that are outside of the narrow beam path would not be detected and thus their distance could not be calculated.
Another known laser range finding apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,949,530. The apparatus utilizes a laser to transmit a light pulse to relatively large reflectors that reflect the light pulse toward an object. The apparatus, however, requires relatively large reflectors which cannot be packaged in relatively small package spaces. Accordingly, vehicle designers would have extreme difficulty in utilizing such an apparatus in an automotive vehicle where only small packaging spaces would be available.
The inventors herein have recognized that there is a need for a system and method that minimizes or reduces one or more of the above-mentioned deficiencies.